Improved propeller-blades



N. PETERS, PHOTO LTHOGRAPH WASHINGTON D C UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

cHARLEs H. BURTON, OE CLEVELAND, OHIO.

IMPROVED PROPELLERBLADES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 38,216, dated April 21, 1863.

To ult whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, O. H. BURTON, of Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented new and useful Improvements in Propeller-Wheels; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full and complete description of the construction and operation of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of this speciiication, in which- Figure l is an end view, Fig. 2 is a side view, and Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrams, representing elementary form and structure.

The nature of my improvements relates to such a structure of a .propellerwheel that when in motion the whole force is exerted directly astern, and consequently with no loss of propelling power.

All propeller-wheels hitherto invented, so far as I have been able to learn, are so constructed that when in motion in the water the water is thrown off in lines obliquely at greater or less angles from the shaft.

In my improvement the face of the buckets holds such a relation to radial lines drawn at right angles from the axis of motion that such lines will pass behind the face thereof at an angle of about six degrees (60); consequently the face of the buckets inclines inward to a corresponding degree, and this inclination is sufficient to prevent the water from being thrown off at right angles or obliquely from the axis of rotation, but is car ried directly astern, and hence the full power of the wheel is obtained.

In Figs. 1 and 2, A represents the shaft, and B represents the face of the bucket. This face is analogous to a screw-thread, having a lead upon the hub A of about ten degrees, (100,)and by having the face B inclining forward of a line drawn at right angles to the axis of motion, as shown at H in Fig. 3, the outer wing of the bucket will present an angle to the line of the shaft of about fifty-six degrecs, (560,) as shown at I in Figs. 2 and 4. In diagrams, Figs. 3, 4, and 5, these several angles are clearly set forth, reference being had to the letters and notes of explanation upon the drawings.

I will also state that the face of the bucket is bounded by a series of straight lines, as seen at a b c d e f in Figs. 1 and 2, and these lines are necessarily inclined forward of a right angle from the axis of rotation, as shown at J in diagram Fig. 5, at an angle of about six degrees, (60,) as before stated, and which gives. that peculiar curve which constitutes the novelty of my improvement; but in thus defining this novel and peculiar form I do not thereby intend to confine myself to the exact lead of the bucket upon the hub, or of the angle of the outer wing, as herein described, for these may be varied more or less while the important and leading features of the invention are preserved.

The face of the buckets are cut upon a true curve, like the thread of a screw, with this difference-the side of the thread which represents the face of the buckets is inclined forward of a line drawn at right angles to the shaft, as hereinbefore stated, which gives the characteristiccurve to the face of the buckets.

The forward and back ends of the buckets are cut off upon a line drawn at right angles from the center of the shaft, as seen at D E, Fig. 2 but, in consequence of the curvature or screw shape of the face of the buckets, the outer win gs from F to G, when measured along their extreme edge, is greater than in a line drawn parallel with the shaft.

The heel or neck of the buckets where they join the hub are much increased in thickness upon the back side, in .order to secure the requisite amount of strength. The back of the bucket, therefore, has an angle, as regards a line drawn at right angles to the shaft, directly opposite to that of the face, and in an increased degree, as shown in diagram Fig. 3, letter H 3 consequently, in moving the boat astern, the action of the wheel is to throw the water away from under the boat.

What I claim as my improvement, and desire to secure by lLetters Patent, is-

So forming the face of the bucket that lines describing such face, as shown at a, b, c, d, and e, incline forward of a right angle at about six degrees, as shown in Figs. 1 and 5, 

